Cooper Creek
Basic information
Sample name: Cooper Creek
Reference: K. A. Prichinello. 1971. Earliest Eocene mammalian fossils from the Laramie Basin of southeast Wyoming. University of Wyoming Contributions to Geology 10(2):73-87 [ER 4145]
Geography
Country: United States
State: Wyoming
County: Albany
Coordinate: 41.55° N, -105.96° W
Coordinate basis: stated in text
Scale: outcrop
Formation: Wind RIver
Time interval: Early Eocene
Zone: Wasatchian
Geography comments: "from an area of badlands within the Cooper Lake Basin... in the northern part of the Laramie Basin... south of Cooper Creek in Secs. 7 and 8, T. 18 N., R. 76 W."
the unit is assigned to the Wind River Formation although there is "no stratigraphic or structural continuity of these beds"
"from a relatively narrow section of variegated beds, having a maximum thickness of approximately 100 feet"
thought to be of "early Gray Bull" (earliest Eocene) age
the unit is assigned to the Wind River Formation although there is "no stratigraphic or structural continuity of these beds"
"from a relatively narrow section of variegated beds, having a maximum thickness of approximately 100 feet"
thought to be of "early Gray Bull" (earliest Eocene) age
Environment
Lithology: siliciclastic (mixed)
Taphonomic context: overbank deposit
Habitat comments: from variegated "siltstone or claystone layers" that are "more commonly reddish-brown or maroon" and include "Calcareous and iron concretions"
the sediments in general are inferred to be fluvial based on the occurrence of channel sandstones with cross-bedding and on the presence of "freshwater aquatic organisms"
the collection consists "mainly of isolated teeth, jaws fragments, and a considerable quantity of unidentifiable bone scraps... Commonly the bones of the larger animals show evidence of weathering and breakage prior to deposition, indicating exposure on the ground for a period of time, possibly several years" and accumulation "on the floodplain"
the sediments in general are inferred to be fluvial based on the occurrence of channel sandstones with cross-bedding and on the presence of "freshwater aquatic organisms"
the collection consists "mainly of isolated teeth, jaws fragments, and a considerable quantity of unidentifiable bone scraps... Commonly the bones of the larger animals show evidence of weathering and breakage prior to deposition, indicating exposure on the ground for a period of time, possibly several years" and accumulation "on the floodplain"
Methods
Life forms: carnivores,primates,ungulates,birds,lizards,turtles,other reptiles
Sampling methods: screenwash
Sample size: 66 specimens
Museum: University of Wyoming
Sampling comments: originally collected by Dr. S. H. Knight in "the early 1930's", but all reported material was collected by the author
the fossils were "weathered out" and "concentrated in rills or on outwash flats" but "A small-scale washing process was undertaken by the writer... approximately 25 pounds" was "washed, using a number of sieves"
Davidson (1987) described additional Wasatchian material from the same area, but did not provide full enumerations
the fossils were "weathered out" and "concentrated in rills or on outwash flats" but "A small-scale washing process was undertaken by the writer... approximately 25 pounds" was "washed, using a number of sieves"
Davidson (1987) described additional Wasatchian material from the same area, but did not provide full enumerations
Metadata
Sample number: 4603
Contributor: John Alroy
Enterer: John Alroy
Modifier no: John Alroy
Created: 2024-12-12 07:17:58
Modified: 2024-12-12 07:27:36
Abundance distribution
14 species
6 singletons
total count 66
geometric series index: 36.2
Fisher's α: 5.435
geometric series k: 0.7761
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.7590
Shannon's H: 1.8856
Good's u: 0.9109
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
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Register
| Plastomenus sp. | 1 | |
| Peltosaurus sp. | 1 | |
| ? | ||
| Alligatorinae indet. | 1 | |
| Crocodylidae indet. | 1 | |
| "Crocodylus sp." (not described) | ||
| Diatryma sp. | 2 | |
| Pelycodus trigonodus = †Cantius trigonodus | 2 | |
| Prototomus multicuspis = †Prototomus secundarius | 1 | |
| Didymictis sp. | 3 | |
| "Didymictis protenus": possibly D. leptomylus | ||
| †Esthonyx bisulcatus | 1 | |
| †Haplomylus speirianus | 2 | |
| Hyopsodus miticulus = Hyopsodus sp. | 7 | |
| †Phenacodus intermedius | 2 | |
| "Phenacodus primaevus": compared specifically to P. intermedius | ||
| †Coryphodon eocaenus | 15 | |
| Hyracotherium angustidens = †Eohippus angustidens | 27 | |